"An approach focused on economics seems rather ill-suited to “lowering the temperature” and bridging the divide when most Republicans, and especially those in the MAGA camp, are focused a lot more on the “culture wars” over who deserves equality and who gets to define national identity. If what people on the R…
"An approach focused on economics seems rather ill-suited to “lowering the temperature” and bridging the divide when most Republicans, and especially those in the MAGA camp, are focused a lot more on the “culture wars” over who deserves equality and who gets to define national identity. If what people on the Right, especially the mythical white working class, are concerned about is not so much the decline of manufacturing and industry per se, but their relative decline of societal status associated with the undermining of white Christian patriarchal dominance, Bidenomics as a strategy based on alleviating economic anxiety and its downstream effects will struggle to reach them."
I agree with the assessment that a focus on economic policy *won't* reach that part of the electorate that's obsessed with the culture wars/replacement theory rhetoric. I was wondering though if you think there *is* something reasonable that Biden could be saying/doing that WOULD reach them? If so, what is it? There is obviously no amenable middle ground compromise between a society with basic human equality and one where we put the women, brown people, the LGBTQIA+ community, and immigrants back into a state of second and third class citizenship (which is what they pine for).
For me it seems a bit of a foregone conclusion that these people are so far down the course of emotional rage and fear, that there's nothing you could really do to "turn down the temperature" so to speak, except for just not putting those issues at the forefront of Biden's campaign and speeches (which they won't see on Fox News anyhow).
And in doing so, that's pandering to the people who weren't going to ever vote for him, while potentially dampening enthusiasm and buy in from people in those groups who stand to lose equal rights and status... and those who consider themselves allies, particular younger more progressive minded people.
Nothing, NOTHING will reach the cult members and too many RW/GOP Americans. They consume nothing but Fox propaganda and worse :( https://mediaanddemocracyproject.org/
Professor Zimmer, you wrote:
"An approach focused on economics seems rather ill-suited to “lowering the temperature” and bridging the divide when most Republicans, and especially those in the MAGA camp, are focused a lot more on the “culture wars” over who deserves equality and who gets to define national identity. If what people on the Right, especially the mythical white working class, are concerned about is not so much the decline of manufacturing and industry per se, but their relative decline of societal status associated with the undermining of white Christian patriarchal dominance, Bidenomics as a strategy based on alleviating economic anxiety and its downstream effects will struggle to reach them."
I agree with the assessment that a focus on economic policy *won't* reach that part of the electorate that's obsessed with the culture wars/replacement theory rhetoric. I was wondering though if you think there *is* something reasonable that Biden could be saying/doing that WOULD reach them? If so, what is it? There is obviously no amenable middle ground compromise between a society with basic human equality and one where we put the women, brown people, the LGBTQIA+ community, and immigrants back into a state of second and third class citizenship (which is what they pine for).
For me it seems a bit of a foregone conclusion that these people are so far down the course of emotional rage and fear, that there's nothing you could really do to "turn down the temperature" so to speak, except for just not putting those issues at the forefront of Biden's campaign and speeches (which they won't see on Fox News anyhow).
And in doing so, that's pandering to the people who weren't going to ever vote for him, while potentially dampening enthusiasm and buy in from people in those groups who stand to lose equal rights and status... and those who consider themselves allies, particular younger more progressive minded people.
The good news is we don't need to reach them to win presidential elections, if Biden gets the same voters he had in 2020, he wins.
Nothing, NOTHING will reach the cult members and too many RW/GOP Americans. They consume nothing but Fox propaganda and worse :( https://mediaanddemocracyproject.org/